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Group hopes to save dog that killed 1-year-old

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Share your opinion Onion, the dog who killed a 1-year-old boy last weekend, is set to be put down because of the attack. Voice your thoughts in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's online Facebook poll.

By Brian HaynesLAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

A group of dog lovers hopes to pressure Henderson officials into sparing the life of Onion, the dog who bit and killed a 1-year-old boy last week.

They have collected donations and found a dog sanctuary where the 6-year-old mastiff-Rhodesian ridgeback mix could spend the rest of his life. They just need city officials to stop next week's scheduled euthanization.

"This dog will never harm another soul," said Les Golden, a Chicago-area dog rescuer who is leading the campaign to spare Onion. "The dog deserves to be saved."

Golden hopes a flood of supporters calling and emailing Mayor Andy Hafen will persuade him to stay the execution, which could happen Monday or Tuesday after the dog's 10-day health quarantine.

The movement will not have support from Onion's family, which voluntarily gave their pet to animal control officials for euthanization.

"For what he did to my son, he deserves to be punished," father Christopher Shahan said. "I've already accepted the fact that he's dead."

The attack that killed Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan came April 27 after the family had finished celebrating the boy's first birthday at their home on the 1600 block of Navarre Lane, near Warm Springs Road and Arroyo Grande Boulevard.

Jeremiah's grandmother, Elizabeth Keller, gave him a bottle and laid him down in the living room. The baby crawled over to Onion and - as he had done many times before - grabbed onto the 120-pound dog to help himself stand up.

Keller was leaning over to pick him up when Onion suddenly attacked. He latched around the boy's head and shook.

Jeremiah's father and others ran to the commotion and freed the child about 30 seconds later.

Paramedics rushed the boy to a nearby hospital before he was airlifted to the University Medical Center trauma unit, where he died early the next day.

Henderson animal control officers declared Onion a vicious dog, which requires euthanization following the state-mandated quarantine.

"The dog attacked and killed a child," animal control spokesman Keith Paul said. "It would be irresponsible of us to allow this dog to be adopted out."

Pet owners can appeal such a finding, but in this case they did not, he said.

Onion had been with the family since he was a puppy and helped Keller through her battle with lung cancer. The dog had never shown aggression toward anyone and loved Jeremiah, Shahan said.

"I would love him to be in a sanctuary the rest of his life, but what sort of punishment would that be for killing a human being?" the father said.

Based on news reports, Golden said he believes Onion is not dangerous and simply acted instinctively after being spooked by the child.

"He would never do anything like that again because he would be put in a sanctuary," he said.

Lisa Kavanaugh, considered an expert at handling large aggressive dogs, said she would welcome Onion to her 35-acre ranch near Denver called Blue Lion Rescue.

Any dog from any breed can bite under certain conditions, and often they are only reacting to a human's actions, she said.

If Onion were allowed to come to her ranch, he would never leave, like a convicted killer serving life in prison without parole, she said.

"If it's an accident, why not give him a chance?" Kavanaugh said. "He's never, ever going to get a chance to hurt anybody else."

Jeremiah's grandmother, who was Onion's closest companion, said she appreciates the efforts to save the dog she called Bunny, but she accepts that his life must end.

She wished only that animal control officers had put him down right away instead of waiting more than a week, leaving her beloved pet to wonder each day whether he will see his family again.

"My grandchild is gone, and I want my dog to be in peace," Keller said. "He won't be in peace until he's put to sleep."

What readers are saying on facebookMore than 50 people responded to a question on the Review-Journal's Facebook page Thursday asking whether Onion, the dog that killed a 1-year-old boy last week, should be put down. Here is a sampling of responses.

"I say no ... the dog may have been sleeping and it was startled when the baby grabbed it. It's unfortunate and my heart breaks for little Jeremiah and Onion." - Lettie Flores

"No, I think just as humans when our hair is pulled, it hurts, we respond, I think the dog responded to pain or got startled. Every living being deserves life. I don't think he needs to be put down and hope that he is not put down. I agree with him being put with a family that have no children, but he should live. God bless this family and this dog" - Amber Gordon

"Yes, as he proved he can kill. Would you want another child to die because of this dog?" - Joy Lewis

"I say yes. Unfortunately, dogs are just like any other animal that you cannot read their minds. It is so unfortunate that this happened to this family. I know that it tears at them that they have not only lost their baby, but lost their pet. too. This situation happens too often when we forget that they are animals and not people." - Rhonda Kempf Lampe

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